by glenn and katrin on May 2, 2012
Languedoc – L’Aventure Languedoc
Languedoc , including Roussillon, is the largest wine producing region of not only France, but the world. However, only lately have sales of the region’s wines seen an uptick due to the increasingly favorable perception of the region. Though there have always been producers of quality wine here, the majority of wine was often poor plonk, much of it destined for the European wine lake. Now the situation is improving. Growers and winemakers, seeing the implications for them of the growing international wine trade, have started to turn the region around. Languedoc wines are both accessible and good value – key selling points for American wine buyers. To further promote the improved quality of Languedoc AOC wines, CIVL, the trade council representing these wines, is presenting for the first time L’Adventure Languedoc, a series of events for both consumers and the trade across the US. In Boston, the event was held at the Boston Conference Center, a wonderfully refurbished venue at the end of the Boston Fish Pier.
Since I’m a fan of the Piquepol grape, I was more than happy to have the opportunity to taste a variety of offerings from the appellation, Picpoul de Pinet, where the grape plays a starring role. The wines ranged from ultra racy to rich and full-bodied. My favorite of the lot was the 2010 Paul Mas Estates Picpoul de Pinet Grand Vin de Languedoc. In anticipation of summer, we zoomed in on rosés; my favorite the 2011 Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois. As for reds, I favored wines where Syrah was the dominant varietal. I thoroughly enjoyed the 2007 Pierre Gaillard Faugères Transhumance from the noted M. Gaillard, a vigneron based in the Northern Rhone but who now has a domaine in Languedoc. Also outstanding was the 2009 Hecht and Bannier Minervois. Katrin’s top five, in no particular order, were the 2009 Chateau Sainte Eulalie Minervois la Liviniére La Cantilene; the 2010 Paul Mas Estates Picpoul de Pinet Grand Vin de Languedoc; the 2007 Pierre Gaillard Faugères Transhumance; the 2011 Cave de Pomerols 100% Syrah – Sud de France Rosé; the 2011 Castelmaure Corbières Rosé.
Loire – Loire Valley Wines
The Loire Valley is no longer terra incognita to American wine buyers. Wines that have long been popular in France – Loire wines are the mainstay of the cartes de vin in French bistros – are now appreciated here and more easily found than ever. These wines represent a multitude of both white and red varietals and styles – racy or full-bodied whites, light or hearty reds, rosés both dry and off-dry and sparklers. Literally, in the Loire, there is something for every taste.
Like last year, the Loire Valley Wines trade show was held at the EMC Club at Fenway Park. Understandably, the venue competed with the wines, even more so since it was the day before the home opener. Yet, we were able to focus on the task at hand. First off, if ever we regretted not having an importer’s license, it was at this event. Most of the wines had no Massachusetts importers. And since we were merely press, our praise for the participants’ wines was faint indeed. We tasted racy Sauvignon Blancs with wonderful grapefruit zip; an obscure but delicious white varietal – Romorantin; both delicate Pinot Noirs and more robust iterations of this grape; spot-on renditions of Cabernet Franc; and sparkling Cremants de Loire that rivaled some Champagnes. We could taste but couldn’t buy out in the real world and consequently felt that we wouldn’t recommend wines unavailable in Massachusetts. Hopefully, some of these good quality wines found an importer and will be available in the future. At some point, we grabbed a glass of a particularly toothsome Cab Franc to savor and made our way to the outside seats to contemplate the Old Ballyard.
An interesting aspect of the show was the prominence – at least it seemed to us – of off-dry rosés. I initially felt this inclusion was misguided – Americans want dry wines. But do they? With the recent emergence of Muscat/Moscato, perhaps these rosés represent an emerging trend. And frankly, as one who doesn’t fear sugar, I found several quite captivating, perfect summer aperitifs.
Contemplating the Old Ballyard
by katrin on January 5, 2012
Last February I reviewed one of my favorite wines in the under $20 price range: Domaine Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray. It was from the 2007 vintage and I found the “wine’s richness, purity, and delicious…hard to resist.” I am currently in the process of selecting wine for a 500-person event at my “day job” and the 2010 vintage of this wine is a contender for the white to be served with dinner. Why a contender, rather than an obvious choice? Because, to my surprise, some of my fellow tasters/colleagues were not quite as taken with it as I continue to be.
The fruit in the 2010 is incredible, with fresh green apple, Bosc pear, quince, and lime, along with some of that wooliness, for which Chenin Blanc is known, are intense on the nose and palate. It is racy with a zesty acidity that makes my taste buds take notice. As with the 2007 there is a lot of minerality. But the ripeness and honey notes are not here, and it feels quite young. To my surprise, the colleagues who tasted with me were almost puzzled by this wine. They lacked the words to describe what they were tasting, but “funky” came up a couple of times and some thought it was like tasting a cellar.
I love the possibility of serving a biodynamic or organic wine like this one and introducing our guests to a wine that they likely would not encounter otherwise, but my colleagues’ reactions make me cautious about selecting the Vigneau-Chevreau. Luckily, I still have a couple of weeks to make a decision. If you can suggest a crowd-pleasing, but interesting wine that retails for $18 or less, please do leave a comment. I’m open to suggestions!
At Atlas Liquors for $19.99.
by glenn on October 14, 2011
My favorite fall white
I went looking for a fall white several weeks ago. I was done with the racy whites and pretty pinks of summer. I wanted a wine with more substance. I came upon a large floor display for this wine and since the price was right – $8.99 – and the varietal also – Chenin Blanc – I thought I’d give it a try. Chenin Blanc, a varietal most often associated with the Loire Valley in France, has found another home in which to flourish in South Africa. The winery, Steenberg, one of the oldest in South Africa, is also a player in the wine tourism sector. It’s worth a visit to the website to see dramatic photos of the modern winery and posh accomodations. The wine didn’t disappoint. When I nosed the wine – a wine tasting term I don’t use often since it reminds me of dogs meeting – the word “pome” came to mind, that family of fleshy fruits which includes apples, pears and quince. My reaction was how appropriate to the fall season. In the nose – sweet herbs such as woodruff, chamomille; Golden Delicious apples, Taylor Gold pears with their scent of honey and Pineapple quince. On the palate – full, ripe fruit giving way to strong acidity. The mouthfeel is rich, weighty. The wine finishes juicy with the lingering ripeness of the pomes and the wonderful acidity. A touch of bitterness only adds to the interest. I’ve been back to purchase the wine several times which- the floor display now gone – has been relegated to the “$8.99 and Under” bin. Hopefully, there will be enough to last through Thanksgiving since this would make a fine accompaniment to that meal.
available at
Whole Foods River St. Cambridge MA
$8.99
by glenn on July 26, 2011
"La P'tit Loire" - a fine accompaniment to Brie
Now, “The Summer of Riesling” is a fine idea – acquaint wine drinkers with the wonderful world of Riesling, the most underrated of the white noble grapes. And the wines of Argentina, which we love and promote at Wine Dine With Us, offer a great confluence of quality and price. Having said all that, though, make mine France. I’ve continued my search for value-priced white French wines for summer quaffing – I’ve moved off from my Rosé pedestal – and discovered this very good Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley produced by La Cave des Vins de Sancerre, a cooperative of one hundred growers. Some wineaux may look askance at cooperative wines but don’t dismiss them – they can offer good value and are generally well-made. The major grapes in Sancerre are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The coop produces wines from both in addition to a Rosé. In the nose, I find the wine reminiscent of sitting on my patio – floral and herbaceous aromas from the garden along with the flowering ailanthus in the woodlot next door. In addition, a hint of white stone fruit and perhaps apricot. And add to all that a melange of citrus – lemon, lime, bitter orange and, of course, grapefruit. On the palate, the citrus continues. A very smooth, round mouthfeel. The wine finishes with strong acidity and a bit of bitterness. Though the wine does make a great aperitif, I paired it with a somewhat simple supper – grilled chicken breast and a tomato-cucumber salad. The challenge of the match-up – besides the tomatoes – was the dressing for the salad which I also used as an accompaniment to the chicken – dill, lemon, garlic, olive oil, Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. All went well – the wine complimenting the chicken and salad and holding its own against the tomatoes and mayo.
available at Whole Foods 340 River St. Camb. MA – $11.99
Since Whole Foods River St. is having a Summer Madness wine sale - 20% off 6 or more bottles – I actually paid $9.59.
by glenn on June 22, 2011
The captivating "Cocagne"
Does this wine have a cult following? Should it have a Facebook page? Whatever those answers may be, I continue my current preoccupation with pink with this captivating wine. As I mentioned in a previous post, this wine was on the “Carte du Vin” for our evening at the Herb Lyceum. It deserves a closer look. From the Loire Valley, produced by a cooperative and made with the somewhat obscure local varietal Pineau d’Aunis, the Lieu-dit “Cocagne” is a great value priced rosé. In the glass, the wine is pleasing to behold – shimmering copper with coral highlights. In the nose, pink grapefruit, raspberries, a whiff of acacia, grass and mint. On the palate, the fruit holds forth and leads to a mouth tingling and mouth watering acidity. The mouthfeel is round and full with a mineral softness. (My demented thought was that it was like Sauvignon Blanc but without the cat pee.) I paired the wine with an orzo and shrimp salad. The ingredients would challenge any rosé – in addition to the orzo and shrimp, grape tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion, kalamata olives, feta and marjoram. I dressed the salad with a vinaigrette of lemon juice, champagne vinegar, roasted garlic, dijon and olive oil. Successful match-up! The wine paired well with the strong and acidic ingredients resulting in a very pleasant summer supper. If you’d like to join this wine’s cult following, you may purchase it where I found it – Central Bottle and Provisions.
Cave du Vendomois Lieu Dit “Cocagne” Rosé 2010 Coteaux du Vendomois $11
Central Bottle and Provisions 196 Mass. Ave. Camb.MA
by glenn on April 15, 2011
KATRIN - I was so looking forward to the Loire Valley Wines tasting on April 4 – we are huge fans of wines from the Loire and had a really great time at the tasting at the W Hotel last year. But it was also the location, as neither of us had been to Fenway Park’s EMC Club before. With an incredible view of the Red Sox home field, it was hard not to think about spring and ballgames (although we all know now that hasn’t worked out well).
GLENN – I was pleased when I was notified that the Loire Valley Trade Tasting would be in April. Last year, the tasting was held in September, not the ideal time to showcase these wines which are so right for summer. I figured I could get a jump on the season with this event. My agenda was to taste off-dry, i.e. “demi-sec”, Vouvrays – I like a touch of sweetness in the summer, Rosés and value-priced sparklers. NB – In my more cynical moments, I consider all non-Champagne sparklers to be good value. And of course, the location was superb – The EMC Club at Fenway Park. So there I was high above home plate tasting wines from one of the most underrated wine regions of the world – a most pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
KATRIN - I didn’t have an agenda like Glenn and tasted a variety – sparkling, whites, and reds. Among my favorites were:
- 2008 Celestin Blondeau Sancerre Moulins Bales – pink grapefruit and lime; fresh, but not overly acidic
- 2008 Celestin Blondeau Pouilly-Fume Rabichottes – lovely with great minerality; full-bodied but still very fresh
- The wines of Chartrand Imports – terroir-driven, biodynamic wines
- 2005 Domanine Couly Dutheil de L’Echo
- Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut
- Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut Rose
GLENN – At the end of the tasting, I checked my scorecard to see how I had done. There were two Vouvrays I’d found notable, Jean Dumont Vouvray 2008 and Marcel Martin “Le Droissy” 2009. Both had a good jolt of acidity to balance the residual sugar of the wines. My favorite sparkler was a pink, Langlois-Chateau Cremant de Loire Brut Rosè NV. The wine – 100% Cabernet Franc – was pleasantly fruity and quite lively, a perfect aperitif for a summer’s evening. However, I struck out in my search for Rosés. For whatever reason, there was a dearth of Rosé – I could only find three to taste; none were memorable. I was commiserated over the Rosé drought with a taste of Chateau de Suronde Quarts de Chaume 2003. Vinified from botrytis-infected Chenin Blanc grapes, the wine is a lush nectar, capable of sweetening any disappointment. It was also the most expensive wine at the show.
by katrin on February 27, 2011
I was almost misty-eyed when I opened my last bottle of Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray. Without a doubt, this biodynamic beauty was one of my favorite white wines of last year or two. When Glenn and I split a case in summer 2009, my intention was to hold on to a couple of bottles to see how it would age in two-three years. They didn’t make it. This wine’s richness, purity, and delicious palate make it hard to resist.
With a light golden hue, this is a lively wine – even in the glass. Lots of lemon, melon, and minerality in the nose. There is a ripe, honeyed character in both the nose and on the palate. The mouthfeel is full bodied and viscous, with crisp acidity and some bitterness. The finish lingers with notes of pineapple and lemon.
Great with food, I really enjoyed the Vigneau-Chevreau on its own… and will be looking forward to the next vintage!
A Cynthia Hurley selection at Federal Wine & Spirits for $16.66.
